The present invention relates to a covering device for an aquarium, terrarium or the like vivarium for living things.
A covering device is known including a rectangular frame, a pivotable, openable cover member and a lighting device mounted on the bottom side of the openable cover member.
A covering device for an aquarium of the above-described type is described in German Patent DE-GM 79 25 998. The frame of this covering device extends in an uninterrupted manner around the entire periphery of the aquarium and comprises a plurality of sections, which are placed on the top of the aquarium. The opening bounded by the frame is closable by a front cover member, which is pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis extending in the vicinity of its rear end on pivot elements on transverse frame members. A lighting device is mounted on the bottom side of the front cover member, which is closed to the aquarium by a light housing, which is attached tightly to the bottom side of the cover member. This cover member extends over about three fourths of the cross-section of the frame. The remaining opening of the frame, at the rear side of the rear edge of the front cover member, is closed by a rear cover member, which extends like the front cover member over the enter longitudinal extent of the frame and which is pivotable in an opposite direction to the front cover member about a horizontal pivot axis and thus is openable forwardly. This pivot axis can be coincident with the pivot axis for the front cover member. The approximately rectangular frame is divided by a longitudinal cross member in the vicinity of both pivot axes of both front and rear cover members. The lighting device is received in the upwardly openable front cover member mounted so as to be pivotable to the front frame member. An approximately horizontal separating wall is mounted on a rear frame portion and spaced under the rear cover member, which can hold sockets, electric regulators, thermometers or other auxiliary devices, e.g. also filters or pumps.
The front cover member carrying the lighting device, is already comparatively heavy, because of the comparatively heavy lighting device. The folding up of the front cover member is thus somewhat troublesome, since it requires a considerable upward force. Furthermore front cover member must be held in an opened position according to the opening angle to avoid automatic closing and the damages that result from that.